Cutter attachment for sewing machines and the like



N. DAVIS.

CUTTER ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE. FILED JULYZO, 1920.

Jan. 16, 1923.

f I c IH fwn 01" I ZL its. le, leas.

STATE@ NATHAN DAVIS, OFDORCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

CUTTER ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING llfi'C-INES AND THE LIKE.

.Application filed July 20,

y Yen of the UnitedStates of America, and -a resident of Dorchester, in the county of Suffolk and State of liffassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Cutter i'lttachment for Sewing Machines and the like, of which the following is 'a specification, reference being,` had to the accoinpanying drawing, forming part thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a cutter attachment, more particularly for the so-called picot stitching sewing machines. The attaclnnent is so associated with the stitching mechanism of the sewing machine as to lie directly in the path of travel of the advancing and stitched material passing the 'stitching point of the machine for engaging and cuttinginto said material to sever the connecting strands of the same between the rows of hemstitching forming the so-called picot edo'e, thus effecting the cutting` operi.- tion automatically and simultaneously with the stitching operation of the machine.

It is a known fact in the dressmaking art that iicot edging is used to a considerable extent in the manufacture of dresses and ladies attire, and that ordinarily the picot stitching operation is done by thesewing machine, while the cutting' operation, for which my invention is particularly intended, is done separate and by hand. The latter operation, besides being` an expensive one, does not yield a uniform finish to the picot edge; while on the other hand., a `uniformly cut picot edge is afforded the material through the application of the within device 'which eleminates the expense attending` the aforesaid hand cutting.operation;

To these as well as other ends my invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination ano arrangement of parts described in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

The terms employed herein areused in drawing single embodiment thereof, but` wit-hout being` limited thereto. wherein:

F l represents a fragmentary eleva- 1920. Serial No. 397,663.

tional view of the presserfoot and stitching section of a picot stitching machine showing the saine supplied with my cuttter device;

2 represents a. sectional view taken on line 2-2 on Fig. l;

Fig. 3 represents a right elevational view of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 represents a sectional view'taken on line 4 4 on Fig. l;

Fig. 5 represents a plan view taken substantially on line 5-5 on F ig.` l;

Fig. 6 represents a sectional view taken on line 6 6 on Fig'. l;

Fig. 7 represents a sectional View taken substantially on line 7*-7 on Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 represents a diagrammatic view of a piece of fabric removed from lunder the presser foot, showing' the picot stitchingand the cutting` of the connecting strands as effected by the within cutter device;

Fig. 9 represents a perspective view of the cutter attachment removed from the presser foot of the machine;

Fig. lO represents a perspectivel view of the stationary coacting `guide and cutter finger or blade of the within device removed from the table plate, or machine base, which supports the saine.

Fig'. ll represents a miniature plan of the throat plate shown in the preceding views of the drawing; and

Fig. l2 represents a modified view of Fig. 4, showing' the rotary cutter member of the device projecting into a. recess provided therefor in the table plate.

Note that all of the views, with the e);- reption of Fig". ll., are drawn enlarged to more clearly set forth the invention. said enlarged views beine,` practically double the artual size of the mechanism exhibited herein. y

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

rlhe numeral 2() (Fig. l) represents the reciprocating` presser foot bar which carries secured thereto-the presser-foot 2l. The latter at the lower end thereof forms a forked section, as indicated in F ig. 4. wherein 22 and 23 represent the arms which slidably tit within the slots provided therefor `in the individual presser-foot runs 24 and 25. respectively, the latter being each pivotally coupled` at 26 (Fig. l) to said arms to yield a slight rocking,- play therebetween.

2T and 252 are the reciprocating` stitching needles which do the liemstitching in the machine and which are carried by the reciprocating members 29 operating in the head of the machine (not shown). 3() represents the hole punching plunger' which is carried by the reciprocating plunger bar -31, which is also operated in the head of the machine (not shown). 32 represents the stationair throat plate ll) which .in flush with the machine base 33 to which the same is secured, as shown in 'Fig'. l, and has theI apertures 34 cut therein through which the material feeding and advancing ratchet plates operate, as shown in 4, and also has the openings 27, 2S and BO to accommodate the reciprocating needles 27 and 28 and the hole punchingv plunger 30, respectively.

36 represents' the cutter bracket which is preferably slotted at 37 to lit the arm 23 of the presser-foot 2l, and is provioed with the clamp-screw 3S which securely Yclamps said bracket 36 in set position with said presser-foot. Said bracket 3G is further `provided with the projecting bearing lug 39 on which the cutter disc 40 isv rotatably mounted and which is rotatably `held on said bracket .by means of the washer 41. and retaining screw 42 carried by said bracket 36. The cutter member 40 is provided with the annular knife edge 43 and the grooved collar section 44 which engages with the endless drive-belt or cord 45, as shown in lP The latter drive-belt or cord 45 is coupled in any suitable manner, preferably with a 'rotating element of the machine for rotating. said cutter member 40. 46` represents a stationary, coacting cutter linger, or blade, vwhich is designed with the kuife-odge47 setting adjacent to the cutter member 40, as shown in Fig. 4, for coacting with the latter to effect a shearing feature therebetween, as will be understood. Said cutter finger 46 is preferably rounded olf at the end 48 to serve as a guide for the material for ushering the same into the cutting position as it is being advanced through the machine while the stitching operation is taking place. 49 represents the base of said cutter finger, or blade, 46 which is preferably provided with the elongated counter'- sunlr holes 50, as shown in F ig. l0, which receive the anchoring screws 5l and which screws adjustably engage and secure saidmember 40 when the presser-foot is raised to its highest position.

l `ig. l2 shows a modification of the device wherein the throat plate 32 is slotted or recessed at 52 to receive the cutter member 40', as shown in. said ligure, when the presser-foot is set in its lower position, whereby the employment of the cutter finger or blade 4G is eliminated. rllhis is made possible by suitably increasing` the diameter of the cutter member 40, so that it enters the recess 52 provided therefor in the plate 82 as aforesaid. The table 32 itself thus assumesthe function of the finger member 46, which is made possiblel wherever he design of the table plate 32will so permit. As will be understood, the separate type of fing-er Vmember 4G, however, provides for the admaterial M into two parts M1 and lvl, as

shown in Figs. l, 5, 7 and 8.

Having thus described the parts of the invention in detail, it will here be noter that the same provides a simple but reliable and effective means for affording the cutting feature sought to be obtained thereby. The nature of the invention permits of its ready application to the standard typesV of sewing machine mechanisms employed in doing the so-called picot stitching for effecting the cutting operation in connection therewith in the machine itself as rapidly as the stitching operation is being accomplished therein. Because of that fact it is obviously apparent that the usual hand cutting opera tion of the already stitched material for severing the picot strands is entirely eliminated, whereby a consequent saving in labor and time is assured, together with the advantage of a perfectly uniform finish to the picot edging, which is impossible to obtain in the hand cutting operation.

rlhe within device, as will be understood, may be made up as part of the machine mechanism direct, that is, integral or permanently associated therewith, whenever so required. notwithstanding the fact that the wit-hin disclosure particularly treats with a design of device which is .of a detachable nature. The latter feature, however, permits of exibility of adjustment which is advantageous in many respects and also permits of the application of the invention to standard lill types of machines already in use without requiring any change of same to associate the invention therewith.

The rotary cutter member 40 may be power driven (as suggested by the endless belt t5 shown in the drawing, which belt may be coupled with any suitable driving means available therefor) or otherwise, it being understood that while the power driven type of disc cutter will yield a more el'ective cutting feature to the device, yet an ordinary rotary disc type of critter will also function without being power driven, since the disc cutter will be frictionally rotated by the engagement therewith of the material to be cutthereby and consequently yields the sharing feature which provides for a perfect cutting operation.

In that regard it will be noted that a disc cutter as herein disclosed, which is shown provided with a belt collar, may be operated either as a power driven cutter or as a frictionally driven critter, according as may be desired, the latter being accomplished by the simple disengagement of the belt therefrom.

It will be noted that so far as the operator is conrerned, no extra work is required on the part of said operator in handling and working a machine supplied with the within cutting device, in that. the same guiding and feeding of the material to the machine for stitching purposes is all that must be cared for by the operator. The cutter member of the device having the critter elements thereof positioned in the desired plane and relatively close to the needles of the machine, receives the advancing and stitched material directly as it leaves said needles and while the material is still guided and held in advancing position under the presserfoot of the machine; wherefore no extra effort on the part of the operator is required to manage and attend to the work of the within invention, which work is accomplished autoinatically and simultaneously with the stitching and continues as long as material is allowed to engage and pass the same.

It will further be noted that the cutter' members may be sharpened or replaced as often as may be found necessary and that the device does not in any way encumber the regular functioning of the machine when applied thereto.`

While the preferred embodiments of my invention have been described in detail, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited tc the particular construction set forth, since various changes in the form, material, poi-portions, arrangement of parts, and in the details of construct-ion may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or destroying any of the advantages contained in the same, heretofore described and deiined in the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention in detail, what l claim as new is:

vl. ln combination with a picot stitching machine presser-foot and machine head base,

detachable bracket adapted to be detachably secured to said presser-foot to be carried thereby; a disc cutter rotatably mounted on said bracket and adapted to operate in a vertical plane rearward of the stitching point of said machine and intermediate the rows of stitching forming the picot work for severing the picot strands; and a coacting shearing member provided on said machine head base and adapted to engage with said disc cutter for severing the material being advanced under said presser-foot.

2. ln combination with a picot stitching sewing machine, a bracket member adapted to be attached to a leg of the presser-foot thereof, a rotatable disc cutter mounted on said bracket and supported to operate in a vertical plane between the lines of hemstitching formed in the material operated on and advanced in said machine; and rearward of the stitching point and a correlated member having a critter edge provided in the table base of said machine for engaging with said disc critter to effect a shearing action against said material when directed into contact between the aforesaid critter elements.

ln witness whereof, I hereunto al'ix my signature this seventeenth dav ot .Tuly` 1920.

NATHAN DAVIS. 

